Stanford selected to participate in national effort to interest college graduates in public service careers

Stanford University has been selected as one of six pilot schools to participate in the Call to Serve campaign, an outreach initiative designed to encourage students to consider public service careers.

"The notion of public service is deeply embedded in the history of Stanford University, dating back to its Founding Grant," said university President John Hennessy. "It is fitting, then, that so many Stanford graduates have devoted significant portions of their lives to communities, and municipal, state and federal government."

Hennessy added that events and issues such as 9/11, global health and environmental crises, and Hurricane Katrina underscore the increasing importance of an educated, committed citizenry. "The intelligence and passion of our young people is a precious asset as we seek solutions to these monumental challenges. It is in this spirit—one that speaks to our highest national ideals—that I call on our students to seek a role in charting the future of our democracy."

The project is sponsored by the Partnership for Public Service, a national, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization. Its Call to Serve campaign pilot schools will organize special events and work to make more information about federal jobs available to faculty, administrators, career services staff and students. Participants will test recruitment methods and evaluate how they work with a college audience so that federal agencies can use the feedback to improve their recruiting outreach. The Stanford project will extend to state and local government and be coordinated by the Haas Center for Public Service in collaboration with the President's Office, the Career Development Center, schools, and student and alumni organizations across campus.

Students can find out more about Stanford's Call to Serve effort at the following free, public events:

Half of the 1.8 million current federal employees will be eligible to retire in the next five years, and the research by the Partnership for Public Service shows that government agencies must work harder to attract students to federal government jobs. A 2002 survey conducted by the partnership found that college students know very little about employment opportunities in the federal government. Only 21 percent ever recalled a federal recruiter visiting their campus. In a 2005 survey of graduating college seniors, the partnership found that only 23 percent were "very interested" in working for the government.

"Today's college students are service oriented but savvy. They want a job that will allow them to make a difference while building a meaningful career," said Max Stier, president and chief executive officer of the Partnership for Public Service and a 1992 graduate of Stanford Law School. "Government offers them the chance to do both, but this message hasn't been getting through. Our goal is to change the stereotypes that have held people back from pursuing government jobs, and this project is an important step."

The other five participating schools are Clark Atlanta University, George Washington University, Louisiana State University, Ohio State University and the University of New Mexico. The Call to Serve campaign is part of the overall Call to Serve network, created in 2002 by the Partnership for Public Service and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. For more information, visit http://www.calltoserve.org.

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